


Lost. Maybe. Or Something.

by Amalys_Lux_Tenebrae



Series: Gift-fics for Indomitable_Clyde [2]
Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types
Genre: Gen, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-12
Updated: 2018-07-12
Packaged: 2019-06-09 07:02:16
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,812
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15261987
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Amalys_Lux_Tenebrae/pseuds/Amalys_Lux_Tenebrae
Summary: One-shot, Slice of life.  Everyone seems so confident when travelling from one place to another, but, it's not that easy. Really. It helps if you have someone with you who has been there before.





	Lost. Maybe. Or Something.

**Author's Note:**

> Gift-fic for Indomitable Clyde.  
> Prompt: I Did't know you could cook.  
> I own nothing that you recognise as belonging to the Pokemon Universe.  
> One-shot  
> (~describes elongated vowel noises)  
> Pods are a version of pokéball that are more cube-like in shape and grey. Pods are used to store inanimate objects so that they can be carried easily, and this is how a player can carry a bicycle in game, and Brock can carry a table and chairs in the anime. I can't remember in which story I came across this idea, however, if you know, ,let me know and I will credit accordingly.

There was only the sounds of nature and the loud crashing and crunching of broken branches caused by someone trying to traverse the woods. Three humans, a small yellow mouse and a tiny orange bird picked their way between the gnarled trunks whilst trying to avoid the occasional thorny vines that wove around and between them. Ash peeked up at the sky, noting that between the leaves of the trees, that night was fast approaching.

“C’mon guys. I think it’s time to start making camp, we can try to work out where we are after a good night’s sleep.”

Max and May were already footsore and drooping, Shucked off their rucksacks onto the leaf and twig laden floor with relief.

“Hey, Pikachu, scout around and see if you can find some berries, please.”

“Pikaa”  
The electric rodent bounced off into the darkening woods and Ash started to collect up some firewood. May’s Torchic watched Pikachu leave, torn between following the older Pokémon and staying with her trainer.

“Oh, come on you two, it’s not that bad!”

“My feet are sore, my legs feel like jelly and I can barely keep my eyes open!” Max whined. Ash blinked at him for a moment and then shrugged.  
“You still need to get your tents set up. C’mon."

“Ash, can’t we just sleep in the open tonight? The weather’s nice and the pokémon in this forest are supposed to be weak. Pikachu and Torchic would just frighten them away!”  
“Tchick!”  
Torchic gave a vigorous nod and May gathered her up, cuddling her like a soft, feathery teddy bear.

Ash tipped his head and listened for a moment, hearing the almost silent whirr of silcoon, the gentle buzz of beautifly, the ripple of water and the song of lotad, and, not too far away, the stridulation of nincada, this last also implied ninjask and, if they were unlucky, shedinja.

“Ash!”

Startled out of his contemplation of the local pokémon, Ash blinked as he forcibly re-routed his attention.

May had just dumped her bag out on to the floor and was rooting around for the small pod that contained her sleeping bag.  
“I’m tired and hungry” she groused, scratching at an insect bite on her shin. Finally finding the greyish, rather square pod, she clicked the button and in a flicker of red light the sleeping bag appeared. “We must have walked, what? Twenty miles?” Torchic eyed the sleeping bag that was folded neatly on the ground and stealthily sidled up to it before climbing on top. Soft bird-trill snores could be heard soon after.

Ash grinned and started to clear the twigs and leaves from a patch of ground with the side of his trainer. “Nah, only about two. You still need to get the tent up. There are nincada close-ish and the tent will help prevent them sneaking up on you in the dark.” A visible shudder rippled May’s form; she might not like bugs, but at least she didn’t run off screaming if she saw one.

“Pikapi, pi pika~ chu, chu pi-cha pi.”  
“Nice!” Ash turned the grin on his pikachu and the expression softened slightly. “Thanks Pikachu.” The electric mouse had hauled back a piece of bark that had about fifteen pecha berries balanced precariously on the top.

Dumping the wood on the ground and setting up the fire, it was at times like this that he really missed Charizard; a single burst of fire and the bonfire would be burning merrily away. Also, he mused, he’d have probably gone to sleep with all his pokémon arranged around and over him. No tent…

A loud crunch and some sotto voce rude words broke him from his reverie as Max dropped the tent bundle onto the dirt.

“Ma~ax!… Don’t tell me you’ve bent the tent poles!” May scurried over, dropping the sleeping bag and grabbing the flysheet before hauling it away. More poles clattered to the floor.

Ash didn’t know whether to pinch the bridge of his nose to stave off the impending headache or face-palm in exasperation. Even he hadn’t been quite this bad when starting out… a moment of self-contemplation indicated that yes, he had been that bad. Man, he owed Brock big time! Thinking of the Gym leader, where was Brock when you needed him? If not Brock, then maybe a kindly Legendary would drop Tracey off to help?...

Realising that he had procrastinated long enough, He ignored the racket, trying to get the fire lit. Checking the direction of the wind and making sure there was a good clear area around the wood, he carefully struck the camping match and held it against the dry leaves and fronds stuffed into the middle of the cone of twigs and small branches. Ash watched carefully as the fire caught, a thin wisp of smoke curled up and scented the air, observing the flames build for a moment and then turned to see how far the Maples had got in constructing their tents.

Max had got the furthest, he was carefully stressing the poles to clip into pockets sewn on each corner. The boy was working cautiously, the tip of his pink tongue was poking out of his mouth as he concentrated, hands shaky but gaining confidence as he worked out what to do next.

May was sitting in a pile of fabric and poles, glaring enviously at her brother, her eyes watery and mouth tight, shoulders hunched so tight it looked painful. Her fingers picked listlessly at a seam on the fabric and Ash winced. Going over to the girl, he held out a hand “C’mon, pass up the poles and we can work on it together. It won’t take long.” Slowly May clambered to her feet, weaving a little in tiredness. Hauling aside the blue tent material, she began to pass sections of the support to Ash who fitted them together with the ease of long practice. Behind him, Pikachu was carefully placing pecha berries next to the cheerfully crackling fire to bake.

“Now see,” Ash said as he slid the completed poles into the crossed fabric channels in the fabric “They slide in like this and then you hook each little foot into these pockets, throw the fly-sheet over the top and pin down the corners and you’re done. Okay?  
May smiled at him, it was rather watery, but it was still a smile.

“You finish off here and I’ll get some cooking started.”

The bonfire had crumpled into a cheerfully burning heap, so Ash carefully placed a couple of larger branches across the coals, giving him something to rest the cooking pot on. Max came over and watched him sort out the pans to put some water on to boil.  
Turning the pecha berries so that they would be cooked evenly, Ash pulled another pod from his bag and liberated the contents; plates, cutlery, mugs and a ground blanket to sit on. Another pod contained silvery packets that he rifled through to find three of the same before returning the rest.  
As the water hit a rolling boil, Ash peered over at Max and handed him the foil packets.

“Tear the top off of those, please, Max”

Out of the corner of his eye, he could see May still struggling to finish setting up the tent and with internal sigh, decided to finish it for her if she hadn’t managed when food was ready. He held out a hand.

“One at a time please, Max.”

As each packet was passed over, Ash carefully tipped in the chunky, powdery, strong-smelling stuff and stirred as though it was an explosive potion, dropping the empty wrappings in the fire.

“There. Five minutes and it’ll be ready. Lay out the blanket and sit down, you guys have done really well today.”

May had finally managed to get the tent together and slouched over to sit next to Ash. Peering into the pan, she took a good long sniff and her mouth watered.

“I didn’t know you could cook.” May was hungry and this smelled so good!

Ash laughed “Oh, trust me, I can’t. I cheat. But, if you want really tasty food on your journey, pray to Arceus that you meet Brock of Pewter Gym on your way and that he deigns to cook you a meal.” His eyes got a faraway look and a small smile tugged at the corner of his lips. Shaking himself out of blissful daydreams of Brock’s food, Ash gave the pot one last stir.

“Food’s up, people and Pokémon. Tuck in!” Ash doled out the stew and handed out some rolls he retrieved from another pod, ladling some out into a bowl for Pikachu and Torchic. Torchic opened a lazy eye and quietly hopped over. Grabbing a small container, Ash carefully peeled off the top. “Hey, Pikachu. Ketchup!” There was a yellow blur that nearly bowled Max over as the electric mouse grabbed the packet and poured the condiment all over his stew.

“Chuu.”

“You’re welcome.”

Another pot of water was placed on the coals to heat as they mopped up the last of the stew with the rolls in companionable silence and followed it with roasted pecha berry. Heaving a sigh of contentment, Ash looked at his two, still new, companions and spoke as he dried off the bowls that May was washing.

“I know it seems tough now, but give it a few days, maybe a week, and things like getting the camp together will become a lot easier because you know what you’re doing. You’ll be able to walk further and faster too. After a couple of months, you’ll be wandering the region as if you’ve been doing it all your life. As for the rest, believe in yourself and try! If you try, you might fail, but if you don’t try, then you definitely fail. You’ve done so well today, I know you can do it!”

They sat staring into the flames for a while before Ash declared that it was time to go to sleep.

“Don’t forget to pick up your sleeping bag and give it a shake before you take it into the tent, May!” There was a quiet, tired mutter, but she complied, sleepily, Torchic hopping along beside her.

Ash set another log on the fire before he grabbed a pod, released his all-weather sleeping bag and settled himself, leaning against the trunk of a tree. Pikachu climbed on to his lap and curled in a tight ball, his tail sticking up like an antenna. Scratching along his Pokémon’s flanks with gentle fingers, Ash murmured to his partner, soft nonsensical words that drifted across the campsite.  
“Y’know, Pikachu,” Ash mused just as the mouse was drifting to sleep, “It’s been a long day, but it’s the start of a new adventure. I can’t wait to see what happens tomorrow!”


End file.
